LK Bennett Dress from Rent the Runway

As I mentioned before, I tried Rent the Runway Unlimited this past winter.  One dress I received was this one from LK Bennett dress from Rent the Runway, but in a 16.  It was too big and I was so sad as it literally was the only item from Rent the Runway Unlimited (other than bags and coats) that fit both my body and my personal style. 

I decided to try Rent the Runway Unlimited once more over this spring and summer. I am happy to report that I am having far more success.  And this dress LK Bennet “Andrea” dress was one of the first things I sought out when I rejoined this fashion subscription service.

LK Bennett Dress from Rent the Runway

Dress: LK Bennett “Andrea” dress via Rent the Runway Unlimited (14R) | Shoes: River Island | Bag: old; similar | Earrings: Domain Luxe Portrait Hoop Earring c/o REALM | Bracelet: Metal Marvels

This isn't a complex dress; it's a linen/silk blend that feels like cotton sateen. The bodice of this sleeveless midi is lined, but the skirt is not.  There's a zipper up the back that miraculously can be completely zipped by myself.  No pockets (gosh I wish it had pockets).  The print is orange and navy on a white ground with navy grosgrain ribbon at the waist. Even though it isn't complex it's an amazing dress. 

The print of this LK Bennett dress from Rent the Runway is bold but not too wacky for most offices.  The defined waist is just a hair higher than expected, highlighting a smaller part of the torso.  The fabric has enough body to have the skirt puff out a bit, but not too much to feel vintage or too dressy for daytime.  And this fabric can be worn to work with pumps, to a wedding with heels, and on the weekend with a denim jacket and sandals. the silhouette also looks great with both blazers and cardigans.

I love that on the Rent the Runway site I can see dozens of photos of women wearing this dress, read their reviews, and even see how they chose to style it.  I saw some women covered the grosgrain ribbon at the waist with a different kind of belt, they styled it with a black cardigan, a white blazer, a denim jacket, a camel leather jacket, even wore it over a black turtleneck. It really gave me ideas for this dress. 

At first, I planned to wear it with nude-to-me pumps, but after seeing the photos I decided to switch it up with snakeskin heels.  I think this is the kind of dress that would look great with a contrast shoe – imagine a turquoise or peacock blue flat or strappy heel!

Sadly LK Bennett isn't doing well as a brand.  This article from Financial Times published earlier this year delves into what caused the demise of the UK clothing brand. This article from the BBC explains the current situation for the label.  It makes me want to cling to this dress and not return it to Rent the Runway for fear it will no longer be available. However, I find this dress to be ridiculously overpriced (what the FT article says is one of the brand's problems). 

This dress retails for $565 and RTR is only offering a 20% discount on that price if I choose to buy.  Nope, no way, this dress is the bomb but it's not worth $400. But this is one of the beauties of Rent the Runway Unlimited; I can rent pieces way outside my budget, keep them as long as I wish, and re-rent them if I desire to in the future.